Positive Behavior Intervention and Support (PBIS)

All 12 schools in the Elmira City School District are using PBIS, an acclaimed system that is utilized in districts throughout the country. With PBIS, each school takes a building-wide approach to teaching, reinforcing and recognizing students' positive behavior.

What is PBIS?

PBIS is a team-based, systematic approach to teaching behavioral expectations throughout the school. It is based on a proactive model that teaches specific behaviors, reinforces and recognizes students who model these behaviors, and has systems in place to support students who have more challenging behaviors.

Since the team approach is crucial to making this system work, family support is very important to its success. Contact your school to find out how you can get involved and learn more about using PBIS.

Our schools all use the acronym of S.O.A.R. to reinforce positive behaviors. S.O.A.R. stands for

Be Safe;

Practice Ownership;

Celebrate Acceptance;

Show Respect.

Pride Points

Ernie Davis Middle School students demonstrating aspects of S.O.A.R. are awarded Pride Points. Students may turn in their pride points for school supplies, prizes and privileges. Students reaching 44 pride points (Ernie Davis’ number on Syracuse University's football team) receive a 44 Pride T-shirt as well as a choice of a gift card or a free luncheon with two individuals of their choice (parents, grandparents, friends, teachers, etc.).

Posters displaying the critical aspects of S.O.A.R. are displayed in all parts of the building for staff and students. In addition, after students say the daily Ernie Davis S.O.A.R. Pledge, they are reminded, via the intercom system, of a weekly S.O.A.R. focus.

Approach

We use a school-wide discipline system that addresses the entire school. This includes not only the classroom, but also areas outside the classroom such as hallways, restrooms, the cafeteria and the playground.

Every person who works in the school is aware of the behavioral expectations and works to ensure that students are consistently getting the same message.

Implementation

There are several components in place to implement PBIS:

Behavioral expectations are defined. A small number of clearly defined behavioral expectations are simply stated in positive terms. Each building identifies their expectations (such as S.O.A.R.)

Behavioral expectations are taught. Behavioral expectations are identified for various settings in each school. The behaviors are taught to all students in the school through direct teaching with the help of staff.

Appropriate behaviors are acknowledged. Once appropriate behaviors have been defined and taught, they are acknowledged in various ways on a regular basis. Each school has its own specific reinforcements and rewards such as Pride Points.

Data collection. Discipline data is collected on school-wide behavior and a team reviews the data regularly to determine when and where any problems may be occurring. The committee then brainstorms ways to proactively address the problems and to re-teach and reinforce positive behaviors.

Individual support is provided for students not responding to the school-wide system. Each school has a system for developing plans for individual students who may have a difficult time and need more support in a school setting.
Teams meet regularly and involve parents as active partners in helping students to succeed.

Active support by all stakeholders. The entire school community is needed to be actively involved in order to make the system successful. PBIS is a district-wide system for establishing a positive culture in each building.

Benefits of PBIS (research-based)

Maximizes academic engagement and achievement for all students.

Increases attendance.

Student self-reports of a more positive and calm environment.

Teacher reports of a more positive and calm environment.

Reduction in the number of behavioral disruptions.

Reduction of disciplinary referrals

Improvement of supports for students whose behaviors require more specialized assistance

Web resources

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